Information Archival

Answer choices

1. A

   Correct72% picked this

   Archivists have little choice but to become dependent on computer technology

   Why this is right

   This is supported by the 2nd paragraph and beginning of the 3rd, although it's not very appealing on a first pass, since the 2nd paragraph was explaining why computer technology is not a great long term solution. The 2nd paragraph begins, - computer technology would seem to offer archivists an answer (most things can be transferred to and stored electronically on computer disks, occupying very little space. and ends - even as some archivists are reluctant to become dependent on ever-changing computer technology, they are also quickly running out of time That latter line seems to be the strongest support. The author is saying, "Yeah, I know it's not perfect, archivists, but y'all better make peace with computer technology because you're running out of time and it's all you've got." That's where the phrasing of "they have little choice but to become dependent" comes from. We know they're reluctant, but they have little choice but to accede to computers as their best option. Finally, the beginning of the 3rd says that "new computer technologies are emerging that may soon provide archivists with the information storage durability they require". That present progressive tense, 'are emerging', makes it sound like this is partly present tense / partly future tense. To make the answer more appealing, we could simply ask ourselves, "Does the author think that archivists are going to invent some non-computer way of archiving stuff?" To that, the answer is a pretty clear no. Even if the main point of the passage is that archivists can't find a great solution to this problem, it's still common sense that archivists will try to make the best of an impossible situation by using archivists to preserve what they can.

   Skill tested: Author Opinion · how this choice captures the passage's function is the move to repeat next time.

   72%
2. B

   Opposite, if anything4% picked this

   Archivists should wait for truly durable data storage systems to be developed before electronically storing

   This goes against the final sentence of the 2nd paragraph and the gist of the 3rd paragraph. When the author says, "even though they're reluctant to use computers, they're quickly running out of time", she is urging them to do the opposite of what this answer is saying. Given that the author told us that some modern media only lasts 10-20 years, and given that the author is afraid of losing important works, the advice in this answer choice would mean that we would lose a lot of what's on media that's currently deteriorating, if archivists were to just pause and wait until truly durable data systems are available.

   4%
3. C

   Too Strong: diminish greatly6% picked this

   The problems concerning media durability facing most archivists would diminish greatly if their information were not

   This answer doesn't make any sense, when you think about what it's saying. If information weren't stored electronically at all, most archivists would suddenly not face the problem of an avalanche of quickly-deteriorating recorded information? How would that problem greatly diminish? Would the archivists just be content to lose all this information, or would they be preserving millions of terabytes of data on some physical surface?

   6%
4. D

   Unsupported Comparison3% picked this

   Storing paintings, photographs, and other images presents greater overall problems for archivists than

   The first line of the 2nd paragraph lumps all these media together: Computer technology would seem to offer archivists an answer, as maps, photographs, films, videotapes, and all forms of printed material may now be transferred to and stored on computers, occupying very little space. So it doesn't seem like the author ever drew a meaningful distinction between storing text and storing other forms of information.

   3%
5. E

   Unsupported Relationship15% picked this

   Generally, the more information one attempts to store in a given amount of space, the less durable the storage

   In the examples of media forms and their respective durability, it's generally true that the media with higher storage capacity had less durability. Tablets and parchment have little storage capacity but are very durable. Videotapes and computer disks/tape have a lot of storage, but are not very durable. But the way this answer choice is phrased, it's not connecting "storage capacity / durability". It's connecting "the more we jam onto it, the less durable it is". In other words, it's saying that if we put 900 Gb on a 1 Terabyte drive, that 1 Tb drive would degrade faster than if we only put 100 Gb on the same type of 1 Tb drive. We definitely can't support that sort of idea.

   15%